


Haven

by Nerd_trash135



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: ?????, Abuse Mentions, Distopia, F/M, Gangs, High School AU, Modern AU, kind of????
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-12-29
Updated: 2016-01-17
Packaged: 2018-05-10 02:12:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5565109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nerd_trash135/pseuds/Nerd_trash135
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Keep her head down, get through school, and never look back. That’s all Emmyth wanted to do, but some things are better said than done.<br/>Her Vallasin clearly mark her as a gang member and that was great when she went to school at the Alienage, but things hardly stay as they are. Redistricting of school zones send her to a highty-tighty public school in the middle of shem city where markings are a quick trip to the wherever they send criminals.<br/>A slip of the tongue and a case of wrong place at wrong time will send her scribbling out the seemingly perfect plan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Rubber soles scraped against the puke green lockers she pressed into as she walked the crowded halls, wrinkled map on a crinkled up paper held up to her nose. The lady at the front office with the terrible perm could have at least given her a legible one, but all the ‘lovely elf girl’ got was a torn up thing from the recycling bin with dicks drawn all over it. Not like she was expecting anything more  
Welcome to Haven High.  
The jump over the seven foot high fence had been a breeze compared to the maze they called halls. Emmyth cursed the county for redrawing the school zones. In the middle of the semester no less!  
The second bell rang and the string of hair from before was blown away with the breeze of frantic students. She was still biting her lip and trying to make sense of the way they numbered the rooms long after the halls had cleared, the occasional loose paper still fluttering down the hall. Room 300 was on the left wing, but room 302 was all the way on the other side of the courtyard and upstairs.  
“Makers breath!” Emmyth cursed for the millionth time under her breath, puffing a strand of rusty hair out of her eyes.  
“If I were you I’d be careful using that phrase around here. I may not be an elf, but I still got hell for it.”  
Green eyes dashed to scruffy tennis shoes and her neck grew unnaturally warm. How that helped she could never tell you, but she kept doing it anyways. The large horned quinari was at least polite enough to pretend he couldn’t see her flushed cheeks even though the fact was quite obvious.  
The room became warmer as he chuckled, a deep sound that sent shivers down her spine.  
“Sorry. I must have startled you, popping out of thin air like that. Name’s Bull. I’ll point you I the right direction if ya’ want.”  
“That-,” she murmured before reminding herself to speak louder and cleared her throat, “That would be great, Thanks.”  
“No problemo.”  
Emmyth held out her schedule to Bull and he held it out like an old man reading fine print.  
“Hey I think this was mine!” the quinari chortled , pointing at one of the doodles, “I’m no artist, but I got to say that this was one of my best.”  
Said piece was an ugly and angry looking lady with a storm of pencil scribbled curls.  
“Is that the lady at the front desk?”  
“See? You can even tell who it is! Though I don’t know why it was given to you. It was a fake copy made by my friend to give to the freshmen.”  
This day was going to be a delight.  
“Got a pen?”  
His large hands (which she estimated were at least the size of her head and then some) looked unnatural holding the small pencil she had scraped out of some dark crevice of her book-bag, carefully held between his thumb and pointer finger.  
“Okay so your first period is actually here-“ 

 

_________________________________

“Emmyth Lavellan?” The History teacher asked as soon as she started opening the door.  
Things were whispered behind hands, as painfully obvious as the little giggles and snide comments that disbursed across the room. It was times like these she wished she could hide the Vallasin of June on her face despite her pride in achieving it.  
“Yeah.”  
“You’re late.”  
“I got lost.”  
“So are you the real deal or just some elf trying to pass off as Dalish?” someone prodded from the middle of the students.  
Her lip bled in her mouth as she held back a venom filled retort. How dare he doubt her vallasin like she was some shem girl jumping on some passing trend.  
“Well knife ear?” he taunted.  
“I earned my markings shemling.” She mumbled under her breath, if only to tell her keeper she hadn’t said nothing.  
The teachers head swung around, hawk eyes wide and angry.  
Fuck.  
That is the one thing she told herself to do: Keep her damn mouth shut. Rule number one in getting through this hell she was required to be in for twelve years.  
His words spun around in her head, “You little punk. You’ll get yourself in deep trouble if you can’t-,”  
“-Watch your tongue, young lady!” The teacher roared, forcing Emmyth to bend back to avoid their glasses clashing together. The older woman’s beak of a nose didn’t help the situation.  
Emmyth’s jaw clenched and she bit her tongue, quite literally. A taste of bitter iron filled her mouth.  
“Now I don’t know what type of thing they had running at wherever you came from.”  
“Allienage High.” She stated without thought, panicking.  
Head down, mouth shut, head down, mouth shut.  
Being sent to the principal’s office on the first day definitely wasn’t part of the plan.  
At least the Keeper would be proud.

\------------------------------------------

Keeper Deshanna was amused more than anything. They had called her in the middle of a hit and it hadn’t taken long, given the cries of pain in the background.  
“I mean you’re not wrong, but really? A prostitute? That was the first thing you came up with?”  
The keeper was killing herself, cackling like a mad woman.  
The Dalish had been a somewhat respectable group of people once, honoring the ancient ways the best they could. Now, however, they were nothing but a bunch of misfit gangs fighting each other and claiming to be “calling out for the return of the old ways.”  
At least Deshanna didn’t pretend what they did was for some greater good.  
“It’s killed or be killed out there, kid.” She had told a young Emmyth once, “that’s the only thing that hasn’t changed. This is just a place to go out with a bang. Besides, going back to the past causes all sorts of problems.”  
Deshanna said something more but the younger woman couldn’t pick it up, brows rising up her forehead.  
The alley way collected all the sound from the roads and mushed it together until you could barely hear yourself think. The crawl space they sat under didn’t help much but keep them from being seen, but it gave them the advantage.  
An arm was slung around her scrawny shoulders which rose in protest as she was pulled toward the leader of their misfits.  
“I’m gonna’ let you off the hook for the prostitute thing, but that’s because I’m proud of you, capiche?”  
The red head gave a nod, eyes still trained on whatever was in the book on her lap. Emmyth would have kept reading if not for the prickling of her hair standing up on her neck.  
“Is there something you needed?” she asked slowly, almost reluctant.  
“My baby is growing up.”  
“Deshanna I know you’re twenty years my senior, but that hardly makes me your-“  
The keeper never did things lightly, hugs being one of those things. Emmyth could feel the breath being pushed out of her lungs and her bones crushing.  
“-child.” She was able to wheeze.  
Death was almost inevitable at this point.  
“Keeper!” The voice of mercy called from it’s post by the road, “Templars at three o’ clock!”  
Air flooded into her body. She was tempted to gasp for it, but that would only get her a smack upside the head. The keeper was up in a heartbeat, hands on her hips as she barked out orders.  
“Alright Lavellan’s! Let’s move!” she ordered after they had hidden the things they would come back for later…if they could.

 

\--------------------------------

‘Let’s move’, in the keeper’s dictionary, was just a fancy way of telling everyone to run. Deshana wouldn’t turn down a fight with anyone except if that someone was in some state of lawful authority. She may have fifty or so wanted posters out and about, but they hadn’t found her yet and she was going to keep it that way.  
“We’ll need a new camp. This one is too close to being compromised.” The keeper noted as the walked down the street, Emmyth taking three steps for each of her strides, “We’ll come back for the goods, but that’s it. “  
They both knew even that was tempting fate, but the goods were most of their income and the slightest lost would ruin their business.  
“I’d say we go to the remains of The Alienage, but they’d be looking for us there.”  
“Would make a damn good statement, though.”  
“Let’s leave that to the other clans. No point in us getting caught to make a statement for their war.”  
“It’s not about returning to the old ways anymore, darling.” Deshanna sighed, “They’re going to make sure the elves die out sooner or later. They’ve almost gotten rid of all the mages since their uprising.”  
“But can they really risk genocide?”  
“The shems don’t give a damn, love. You should know that by now.”  
“but certainly some-“  
“Emmyth we both know the truth. You don’t have to play devil’s advocate.”  
Deshanna was right. They walked in silence until the roads were scattered with oases of street lights.  
“Emmyth.”  
Said elf turned to face the figure still at the street, hands shoved in their oversized jacket and the street lamps making her frizzy brown hair into a weirdly shaped halo.  
“If anyone else at that school gives you any trouble you tell me, got it?”  
“Yep.”  
“…or you could sock them yourself, but that isn’t really your style is it.”  
“Only if you really think they deserve it.” The red head reminded, unsettling smirk curling her lips  
“Thatta’ girl.”


	2. Chapter 2

Emmyth was almost convinced everyone was out to get her, almost. It was natural to get shoved around in the halls a bit, kids will be kids as the saying goes, but after the sixth time of being shoved into a locker she was calling bullshit.  
Hands swooped down to slam her books on her desk in fourth period, but though better at the last moment and set them down with barely the slightest sound.  
“It’s nice to see I’m not the only one frustrated by this situation.”  
She swore she was going to punch something.  
Taking a deep breath she sat and knitted her fingers together, resting them so that they’d cover the ever present scowl. Though, in her defense, she always looked angry to some degree.  
A look was given to the boy beside her to simply acknowledge that she had heard him.  
Giving up the hopes of a response the elf boy went back to jotting down notes, feeling no need to waste time in a one way conversation.  
Emmyth wondered if he had a death wish. A fleeting glace to the side was enough to read the worn cover plain as day on his desk and magic was a word not even whispered between people ever since the circle was destroyed. Reading a book like that in public was a neon sign begging to be tranquil.  
The keeper’s voice echoed in her head. It would be best if she moved seats, enough attention was on her as is.   
The late bell rang and the teacher walked in, ridiculous heels clacking against the tile. If looks could burn Emmyth would have been up in flames.  
She ducked her head down and scribbled something in her notebook.   
“Emmyth.” The teacher called, sickly sweet.  
“Here.” The red head groaned.

______________________________________

 

The cafeteria was the definition of chaos. All the tables were full, some siting two to a tiny seat and I was impossible to walk a few feet without tripping over an elf forced to sit on the floor.  
In fact it was mostly elves that were on the floor.  
Lunch ladies slopped food onto her tray as the line moved to a silent beat: Move, slop of food, another step, another slop, another step, pay, etcetera. It was a relief that some things never changed.  
The heat was ripped from her body as she stepped into the courtyard, the warmth of the tray on her hands slowly fading. She’d rather be numb than suffocate inside.  
“Hot damn it’s cold!”  
Bull plopped down in front of her and a human to her right. A voice asking if they could move her bag came from her left, causing the elf to jump and mumble an apology as she moved the offending object. Before she knew it she was scrunched up between another dalish girl and brooding boy who grunted in response to something another had said. Her shoulders hunched up to avoid contact, arms laying awkwardly in her lap.  
It over-whelmed her, honestly, wide eyes glancing around for an explanation.  
“Should I be afraid?”  
Bull bellowed out a laugh and the elf beside her gave her a smile and patted her shoulder.  
“Relax. We’re not here to push you down and steal your lunch money.”  
“Not that we’d want it.” The kid next to him commented, “I’m not sure the chicken is actually chicken.”  
“It’s not that bad.”  
“Dalish.” The kid with nice hair next to Bull pointed out, quite literally, with a fork, “With your cooking I’m pretty sure you don’t have taste buds.”  
Dalish glared and the others smirked into their food.  
Emmyth, however, was lost and Bull was completely aware of the fact.  
“I never did catch your name.”  
“Emmyth.”  
“You’re the elf that sassed-“ good hair guy began.  
“We’re the chargers. Loudmouth here is Krem.” Bull introduced.  
He nodded to each one in turn, forcing Krem to duck lest he get a face full of horn.  
“Then there’s Grim and Dalish there beside you, Skinner, Rocky, and Stitches.”  
“The Chargers?” She dared ask.  
“Football team,” Krem answered, “and lacrosse, and anything else you can think of… When they need it that is.”  
“You’d be surprised how competitive high school coaches are.” Bull laughed, “But they get the win and the local newspaper while we get the mullah.”  
“Really hope you didn’t come over here to recruit. I’m afraid you’d be disappointed.”  
Emmyth scooped up some food on her plate, looked at it closely, and opted to go hungry.  
“Damn,” Bull laughed, “And here I thought we had ya’.”  
“Trying to replace me, are you?” Dalish challenged.  
“No one could replace you, Dalish!” Krem declared.  
“Kiss ass! Skinner declared, shoving him off the seat.  
“ I wouldn’t be able to replace Dalish without a pole of lightning shot up my ass.”  
“It’s a stick.” She corrected.  
“With a sparkly jewel at the bottom!” Krem noted.  
“For accuracy.”  
“Shouldn’t it be on the other end, then?”  
“Old Dalish trick. You shems wouldn’t understand.”  
“You’re a mage?” Emmyth whispered.  
“It’s for accuracy~” Dalish sang, but not without a wink.   
The bell rang and the group got up, quick goodbyes and waves given in her direction before they continued inside, shouting and pushing each other around.  
Emmyth jumped as a large hand slapped her back, stumbling forward from the force.  
“Aren’t they great!” Bull laughed, “The most kick ass team anyone could ask for.”   
“About that whole volunteering thing-“  
Bull bellowed out a laugh once again, “That’s one way to put it.”  
“The way you talked about it-“  
Emmyth didn’t know how to put it, but with her tone Bull understood and held open the door for her as he explained.  
“It wouldn’t be such a big deal if it were some little runts playing around and running the wrong way with some shitty plastic ball,” He noted, “but these teams are trying to be noticed by scouts. If they have high scores, someone’s bound to notice. Kids pay the coach to get their names in, coach pays us to wear the kids number. The scouts that see us think we’re another kid and, well, faces are hard to see behind those big helmets. Kid gets their free ride to college and we get the pare change.”  
There was just one flaw in his logic.  
“What do you do then?” She questioned, “Horns and all, that is?”  
“That’s a good question.”  
She never got an answer.

___________________________________

 

The class was silent as Emmyth slipped in the back. The warning bell hadn’t even rung, but the teacher was already up at the board going over something or other.  
She slipped into her seat, pencil already in her hand writing furiously before her but was in the chair. A glance was given to the seat next to her, expecting some sass-filled comment on her tardiness. However, to her surprise the bald headed elf was nowhere to be found. For some reason the fact made her feel a little better. Somehow she wasn’t the only screw up around there.  
A human kid with curly black hair ducked into class and took the seat next to her.  
“Someone was already sitting there,” She whispered as she tapped his shoulder. The bald kid might have annoyed her, but she didn’t think he’d be happy to find his spot occupied if he ever got back. Seemed like the type to be picky about those sort of things.   
“Shut it rabbit!” He hissed, “I’m not going to get in trouble because of you. As far as I care the person can move.”  
“Mr. Roberts,” The teacher addressed as the kid turned forward, “Detention after school today. Don’t be tardy again.”  
The boy glared a whole into Emmyth’s scull and she returned to her notes if just to keep herself from sticking her tongue out at him.  
“And Miss Lavellan please learn to whisper a little quieter.”  
Her face flushed, head tucking into her chest to avoid the eyes that turned to look at her.

_______________________________________________________________________

 

“This is a suicide mission!”  
“What else do you plan for us to do?”   
The Keeper and Therin of the inner circle argued, barely able to hear each other over the heavy bass of the club. It belonged to Deshanna under a different name, a front for the business they did. Most people came in from the front, unable to be told apart from the usual crowd.  
Emmyth still had to come in through the back alley, being only eighteen. If anyone asked she was Deshanna’s kid and “could go wherever the hell she wanted” as the keeper put it.  
The door opened and closed as Emmyth bounced against it, arms crossed in front of her as she amused herself with the dull thump the door made as it closed again and again.  
“We have people on the inside!” Deshanna noted, “ Templars that would rather die than give up their lyrium supply and we make it stronger than the chantry ever did in the past.”  
“But they still have that ‘hero’ complex that makes us all puke, who’s to say they won’t.”  
People cheered in the front as another song started, sound not even dulled by the thick door that separated the kitchens from the rest of the place.  
“Then we go in the day before. No one can stop anyone from going in the church.” Deshanna proposed.  
“and if they kick us out?”  
“We send one person to be a distraction.” Emmyth proposed, “ The place has a back door just like this place, multiple to be exact.”  
She drug her finger along the poorly made blueprints atop a wobbly stool, stopping for a moment at each said door.  
“One person draws all the attention to the front and the other person sneaks in and hides out till the meeting starts.”  
“They won’t even let the people that work there inside.” Therin pointed out, “They’ll do a full scale sweep. It’s easier said than done.”  
“These old places always have crannies that are forgotten about ,” Emmyth reminded, “I watched a part of a thing that showed that they use to have secret places in palaces for royalty to hide.”  
“This isn’t a documentary, Emmyth.” Therin chided.  
“I’ll go scope the place out.” She proposed, “Make up some sob story and if I can’t find anything I’ll leave one of my special taps.”  
“If you’re willing.” Deshanna sighed.  
“Keeper you can’t be serious!” Therin argued once more, “I practically raised her just as much as you did, but she’s only a kid.”  
“Legally, she’s not.”  
“I’m willing to hear a better idea.” Emmyth scowled, “We need whatever information we can get from this thing, meeting, whatever.”  
“And that right there assures me so much,” He scoffed, dragging a hand down his face.  
“They won’t notice a thing.” Emmyth assured, “I’ll cover my vallasin and everything.”  
“Don’t make me regret this decision.” Deshanna warned, waving her off.  
She could hear Therin yelling as the kitchen doors slammed behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so the plot unfolds...


End file.
